The Healer's Daughter
by ScarlettAlexandra
Summary: "Did you love her?" Rowan had asked him. He took one long look at her. His daughter. He smiled sadly at how much she resembled her mother, the same wide eyes, smile, hair, nearly everything "Yes," He smiled, "I did." I still do, he thought. Fallows the life of Celandine , Robin, and Much's childhood leading up to how their choices in the past effected the present.
1. Chapter 1:Rivers

**Own no Characters.**

Robin and his new young friend Much, ran quickly to their spot in the forest: a fallen tree that arched across a small river.

Robin jumped up onto the branch and motioned for Much too fallow.

"Robin," He sighed, "Should we really be climbing on it? The river is much faster, and the bark is still wet from all the rain." Much whined standing near the roots.

Robin paused his climb and stared back at his friend, "Much. Its fine!" The eight year old stated, "We have climbed up here at least a hundred times this summer."

"Not after it has rained Robin!" Much petitioned, " Please just climb back down and we can go do something else."

"No!" Robin climbed to the top and stood, the bark was slippery yet not enough to stop Robin. He looked around checking his surroundings when something caught his eye. A girl standing only half hidden behind one of the oak trees. She had brown waving hair, and green eyes. _How had they not seen her get so close? _He thought. Suddenly Robin's foot slipped causing him to fall off the log and into the cold water.

"Robin!" Much screamed from the shore. The water was deeper than Robin thought as he tried to touch the bottom. The current stronger than usual pulling him down the river quickly. He could swim well, but not well enough to stay afloat now. His head continuously went under.

The little girl ran over too the rivers edge and stared across at Much. Before he could say something she took off in the opposite direction. Much rand down the edge of the river and tried to find something for his friend to grab hold of. There! A stick long enough for Robin to reach. He located his friend and tried to yell for him to grab hold, but Robin couldn't hear him.

Seconds later the little girl was back with a man fallowing her. She pointed at Robin in the water and said something. Soon enough the man was jumping in. He could easily swim against the current being much stronger than the young boy stuck in it. The man lifted Robin up and began to swim with him over to the edge. The man heaved Robin's now limp body out before pulling himself out after. The little girl ran over to Robin's body and sat in the grass next to him. She looked up wide-eyed at the man. He said something to her before picking Robin's body up and running in the direction he came from. The little girl stood and looked at much across the river.

"Where is his father!" She yelled at him.

"In Locksley!" Much replied.

The girl ran back upstream to cross the log which Robin had fallen from. She crawled slowly across clutching the bark as not to slip like the boy had. She ran over to Much and nodded quickly, "Take me too him! I can lead you to my house."


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting

**Do not own characters.**

Robin opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. He was in some cottage, a woman standing in the next room speaking to a man and what looked like his father. He looked next to him noticing the weight on the bed. The girl he saw earlier sat there braiding her hair. She looked down at him and smiled softly, fern green eyes sparkling. "How do you feel?" She asked. Her words were kind enough, but Robin could tell something else was within them.

He thought a moment as he stared down at his body. He felt awful but wasn't about to tell this girl that. "Fine." He muttered mustering up a smile. She peered down at him, green eyes baring into him.

"You are a bad liar." She said her attention turning back to her braid.

"Who are you?" Robin asked the girl. She glanced his direction briefly, than back at her hair.

"A girl. And you are a boy." She said with a smile.

He glared at her, "What is your name?"

She paused her braiding a moment debating if she should tell him or not, " What is yours?" She returned the question.

_This girl is annoying! _Robin thought staring at her. " Its Robin, now your turn?" He said frowning up at her.

"Celandine." The girl smiled down at him. He said her name in his head a few times. It was pretty. She continued smiling and said, " I like robins, they are good birds."

"I'm not a bird!" Robin said at her, anger making his cheeks hot.

"No, I never said you were." She lost her smile and looked away.

"You thought it!" He could not even figure out why he felt anger at the moment. This girl was pretty too him, as pretty as he found most girls his age. Perhaps more.

"Did I?" She turned her gaze back to him. " I simply stated a fact."

"How old are you?" He asked not meeting her eyes.

"Six, and yourself?" She answered.

"Eight." Robin turned his eyes to the entrance and watched as his father came and sat on the other side of the bed, " You are in trouble young man." He said reaching a hand to brush the boys hair out of his face. "Your mother is going to kill you." his father said with a smile. His father turned his attention to Celandine, "Thank you young lady for getting your father, and finding me." His father said to the girl. She grinned as a slight blush came to her cheeks.

"Where is Much?" Robin asked his father.

"At home with his mother." His father, Robert, answered, " We are staying the night here, you and Celandine here are sharing her room."

"Why?" He said glancing more about the room. It was indeed the girls room. Flowers were drawn onto pieces of parchment, little wooden dolls in a tiny doll house sat in one corner, and a little green dress was thrown on top of the chest at the end of the small bed.

"The healer would like too monitor you a bit longer, just to make sure your going to be okay." Robert explained nodding to the women he was speaking with earlier. "You took quite a dunking."

"Celandine, go get a spare blanket for yourself." The women, Robin guessed was the girls mother instructed. Celandine got off the bed and walked into the next room returning once she had a woven blanket in her arms.

**(:D)**

Celandine lay down after blowing out the candles, her head at the opposite end of the bed where Robins feet lay.

"Thank you." Robin whispered to her.

The girl sat up and smiled at him, "What for?" She asked. Even in the darkness he knew her green eyes were on him.

"You saved me." He replied playing with a loose string on the blanket.

"My father saved you." She replied.

"Can you come up here?" Robin asked staring across the bed at her.

"Why?" She asked.

"I-um" Robin frowned, " I'm just not used to sleeping somewhere else." She sighed than crawled to the top of the bed before laying back down. "Thank you."

"It's alright if you are scared." She said softly.

"I am not scared, just lonely." He replied turning his head to face her. "Don't you get lonely if you stay at someone else's house?"

She turned her small body to him, "No. I have never stayed at someone else house before."

"Oh." Was all he could think to say. "Goodnight." Robin said closing his eyes.

"Night." He heard after a few moments, smiling to himself he drifted to sleep. Perhaps he and this girl would become friends.


	3. Chapter 3: Frogs

**Yay, Chapter! Own nothing.**

"Is Celandine home?" Robin asked standing with Much at the cottage door step, his father Robert standing behind them. A week had passed since the accident happened, all that remained on Robin was a few scrapes and bruises.

The healer women with the grey eyes opened the door and smiled down at him. "Hello young man." She nodded to Robert who put his hand on Robin's shoulder. "She is indeed." She turned her head inside the door and called for her daughter. Celandine came smiling moments later.

"We were wondering…" Robin started and looked at Much who stood grinning, "Much and I, if you would like to play with us?"

The girl lost her smile and only stared at them a few moments. She glanced up at her mother.

"If you want too Cely you can." Her mother stated. Celandine nodded and looked back to the boys.

"Okay." She paused a moment, "But you will NOT tell me what I can't do because I am a girl." She warned peering at the taller boys. Robin shook his head and smiled, promising they would not.

"I am going to speak with her mother, be back soon." Robert stated as he walked past the children, "Robin, for goodness sake stay out of trouble. Celandine, young lady, you are in charge."

**(meh:)**

Celandine stood next to a small lake with the two boys listening to their argument of what to do.

"We can play swords?" Much stated.

"We always do that. Let's climb a tree?" Robin said shaking his blonde hair.

"We did that the other day."

"We can catch frogs?" Celandine chimed in. She smiled at the boys startled faces. They must have forgotten she was even there.

"Frogs?" Robin said a quizzical expression on his face.

"I do it all the time, and lizards, and worms." She explained, "Fish like worms." She fiddled with the fabric of her dress.

The boys stared at her as if they were questioning a new species of animal.

"Um, we can do that I guess." Robin said looking at the lake, "Your not afraid of getting your dress wet?"

"NO!" She stated walking towards the water, "The frogs hide in the grass by the stones right there." She pointed, "and the lizards and worms under the rocks. We can fish with them if you know how too?" She turned towards the boys a challenging look on her face.

"Of course we do, we don't have a poll though." He stated, "Perhaps whoever catches the biggest one wins? Worm, frog or lizard that is."

"Perhaps you should learn how to make a poll?" Celandine said walking back to him, "Shall I show you how?" She said raising an eyebrow in annoyance at the older boy.

Robin squinted his eyes at her, than glancing to Much who only shrugged.

"Well," He began thinking, "Perhaps you should…should…" He sighed.

"Should what?" She said folding her thin arms over her chest.

"Ugh! Forget it! Lets just find stupid frogs." Robin frowned as he kicked a rock towards the water before walking. Celandine sighed, braiding her hair as she fallowed.

"We could skip stones!" Much said before fallowing behind.


	4. Chapter 4: Comb

**Own nothing:**

Robin often went to see her, or she him. Sometimes Much would be there, sometimes not. Their friendship blossomed quickly, and he enjoyed to spend time with a girl rather than other boys his age. Celandine, unlike him, had very few friends. As far as he knew him and Much were too of her only friends. It had been almost two years since the three of them met each other, most weeks they spent inseparable. Celandine was turning eight in May, and Robin himself turning ten in October, Much's ninth in June. He smiled inwardly at himself sitting on his bed.

_What am I to get them?_ He thought. Robin had recently received a job helping an elderly women sell pottery in the village. Each coin he earned went into his savings pouch, hidden well under his bed.

His family was not poor like some, but they were not as rich as the Lord's and Ladies. His father a knight for the King of England himself. Sometimes he would leave weeks at a time , sometimes months, for his duties in Nottingham, or even other major cities in England and sometimes France. Always bringing back gifts for him, his mother, Much, and now Celandine as well. Just recently his father returned home from London bringing with him a necklace for mother, a dagger for Robin, slingshot for Much, and a pretty comb that Robert told Robin to give to Celandine. He still has yet had the chance too.

Holding the comb now Robin grinned. . The comb was small with tiny, perhaps fake, jewels in its handle. He knew she would love it, or at least hoped she would. The girl was very opinionated for her young age. She showed no fear in making those opinions known to all. Robin looked up to see his father standing in the door way.

"You have not given it too her?" Robert said grinning.

"I keep forgetting it here." Robin explained sitting the comb down.

Robert laughed and said, "You have a soft spot for her?"

"No!" Robin said but could not help the blush forming on his cheeks, "Girls are gross. They are all flowers and-and dresses and junk." He explained.

Robert only laughed shaking his head, " I don't think that young lady cares at all for the state of her dresses."

"Oh Robert leave him be." Robin's mother, Elizabeth, said coming in behind him.

Robert kissed her hair gently. "Perhaps we should have their family over for dinner? You can give it too her than. A early birthday present?" Elizabeth said.

"I shall go invite them now." Robert said leaving the room.

"Help me clean please." Elizabeth asked Robin before leaving.

**(:D)**

"Thank you very much for having us over." Celandine's mother said as she set the wooden cup down.

"Oh, it is no problem at all." Elizabeth said smiling, "Robin, why don't you and Celandine go to your room and play while we talk for a bit."

Robin walked to his room Celandine fallowing quietly behind. "I have something for you." Robin said turning to her.

"Hmm?" She looked up green eyes wide.

"Well my father got it in London," Robin went to the small table, "Think of it as a birthday gift." He grabbed the comb hiding it from her view.

"Oh." She said with a smile, "What is it!?"

"Close your eyes, hold your hands out and no peeking till I say." Robin instructed when she did so he placed the comb within her little palms. "Open."

She opened her eyes staring down at the object. She looked up at Robin's face than back down, "Thank you."

"Your welcome," Robin said holding his right hand with his left.

"I can't take it though." She said trying to give the comb back.

"Of course you can! It's your birthday gift." He couldn't believe his ears.

She shook her head, "It's too nice." frowning she continued to hold the comb out.

"No. I will not take it back." Robin said a little frustration in his voice. She stepped closer still holding the comb out. "No!" She sighed and stayed where she was, "Celandine, no. It's yours."

She shook her head again eyes flashing. "Please Cely, just keep it."

"Give it too me on my birthday than." She opened his hand with her free one and placed the comb in it. " I will take it on my birthday only." She explained holding her chin high. She often did this too match Robin's stance. He sighed and placed it back on the table.

**(&)**

The fallowing May she had accepted the comb happily. Robin smiled at his friend's night and day change in attitude towards the small gift. Unlike before, she thanked him, hugged him than proceeded to use the comb on her hair before placing it on a little shelf above her bed.

_This girl is just surprising_, Robin thought as he fallowed Celandine outside too the field surrounding her parents cottage. She ran ahead turning back with a smile in his direction, brown hair blowing to the side. In those few seconds Robin promised himself he would always be at her side from then on. _Even when we are old with grey hair and no teeth_, Robin thought. Always be her best friend. He smiled back beginning to fallow her when Much ran into Robin pushing him down in the grass. He glared back at his friend cheeks turning red on their own accord as Celandine looked down laughing at them.


	5. Chapter 5: The Aelfin Girl

**Own nothing. Thanks to **My Beautiful Ending for letting me use Linden and Coriander. 3 Go check out her story: The Choice

(**One year later, Robin-11 Much-10ish and Cel-9)**

"Hello boys." Celandine's father Linden answered the door.

"Is Celandine allowed to come with us?" Robin asked.

Linden looked over his shoulder a second before sighing and looking down at him and Much. "Not today boys."

"Oh." Robin said mouth in the shape of an o. "Is she alright?"

"Just a bit under the weather is all. She should be fine in a few days." Linden said, "Now if you will excuse me I must go to work." Closing the door he walked off past the two boys and down the path.

"What-ya think she is sick with?" Much asked as they stood outside the door still.

Robin shrugged and knocked again. There was no answer, not even the sound of movement within the house. Robin sighed and tried once more. Nothing.

"You think she is even really home?" Much asked.

"I don't know." Robin answered, "Lets head home."

* * *

Celandine's mother, Coriander, had just explained why she could suddenly do things others could not. She sat silently pouting as her friends knocked on the door.

"You can go if you want Cely." Her mother said tucking back her daughter hair from her frowning face.

"No." Celandine said pushing her mothers hair away before hiding her face in her dark hair.

Coriander frowned , "It will be okay."

She shook her head and looked up at her mother, "Am I the only one that's half?"

Coriander did not know the answer she shrugged before saying, "I'm sure there is someone else."

"That's why I can see the spirits? Why I could heal that bird?" She paused, "Can I do that too people?" She looked wide-eyed up at her mother. Coriander smiled softly looking down at the youths green eyes.

"Yes, in a way. You see I had those powers once, and even more that with time you will develop." Coriander explained, "Be patient, do not strain yourself by using them too much, and Celandine dear?"

"Yes mother?" She said wanting to soak up as much information as she could.

"Tell no one Celandine." She lost her soft smile, face turning grave, "Not even your friends must know that you are not full mortal."

Celandine frowned, "I tell Robin and Much everything. They tell me everything. Why can't I tell them?"

Coriander bit her lip and brushed one hand through her blonde, almost silvery, hair. "It's very dangerous." She thought a bit on how to word the next words, " Celandine, there are very bad people out there, many of which who do not-" she paused, "do not fully except people like you and I."

Celandine's brows furrowed together, "You mean they will hurt us? Not Robin or Much though!"

"I mean that-" She sighed, this was far more difficult than she thought, " I mean that people may-may hurt us. Yes."

"So not even Much?" Celandine got the look in her eyes that meant tears where coming soon.

"No sweetheart, not Much." Coriander said placing a hand on the girls cheek.

"Not Robin?" Coriander could see the tears beginning to form in her daughter's eyes. Shaking her head she waited for them to come out.

Celandine frowned and blinked a few times pretending to be tougher than she was. A thing she often did with her mother or friends.

"What- what are the spirits called Mama?" She asked, eyes closed.

"The Aelfe." Her mother whispered.

"I shall not tell anyone." Celandine looked up, a few tears making their way down her cheeks, "I promise."


	6. Chapter 6: Crush

**(Robin-12, Much 11, Cel-10)**

**Own nothing**

Robin heard a scream from inside the cottage and saw Linden, and another man standing out in the field. The man seemed distraught and continuously rubbed his hands over his face and hair. Robin squinted in confusion, eyebrows furrowed together.

"Lad!" Linden motioned for him to come over to where he stood. Robin glanced back at the cottage than continued on.

"What's going on?" He asked, "Who's he? Is he okay?"

"So many questions my boy!" Linden smiled placing a hand on Robins shoulder. "This man's wife is giving birth and Celandine is helping her mother with it. He will be okay, you will understand his feelings when you have a wife and children." Linden explained , "Would've been a bit awkward had you walked in just than."

Robin nodded smiling, unsure what else to do. Moments passed and Celandine came walking out a smile on her face. Her sleeves rolled up and hair pulled into a messy bun. She walked towards them and told the man he could go in now. Hastily the man went in the cottage. Turning to Robin and her father she smiled, "Mother said it went well." She stated. " Said I am a natural at it." Celandine looked down at her feet. One thing Robin knew she hated was bragging. "I suppose I could be, but as of now I am still a beginner."

"You will be great Cely." Robin said, "Is that what you want to do?"

"Be a healer? Yes!" She grinned. "I want to help people, and I know how to heal them. I know the herbs and spices, and plants like the back of my hand. Well almost, without mother I would have accidentally poisoned a person." She blushed.

"Ah, shall we go see this baby?" Linden suggested smiling down at the two. They nodded before going inside. The mother lay on a cot in the main room of the house, sitting next to her was her husband. Bundled in the mothers arms was the newborn. Coriander who had just finished cleaning up smiled at Linden who brushed a kiss on her forehead.

"You young lady-" The new mother leaning up against the pillow said smiling at Celandine, "are going to be great when you are older. Do you know that?" She asked.

Celandine smiled softly.

"And is that young man behind you at all interest your eye?" The women joked smiling wider as Celandine looked down.

Robin felt his cheeks heat up taking notice Celandine's were bright pink. His stomach did the uncomfortable turn it had started doing lately when he was around her. His mother had called it a '_little crush_'. Much has told him he is being ridiculous. _Am I? _Robin thought, _Or do I have a 'crush' on her. _

"I think they are a bit young for that." Linden laughed shaking Robins hair.

"Nonsense, Henry and I met when we were-how old Henry?" She said yawning, her strength too stay awake slowly leaving her.

"I was ten, you were nine. Been inseparable since." The man answered.

Robin felt worse, he and Celandine had been friends since she was six, a little over four years now. He looked around a moment before heading out the door.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Celandine asked fallowing him, "Don't listen to them, they are just being grown ups Robin." She rolled her perfect, green eyes. "Just forget it."

"I just need to head home." He said quickly, "I will see you later." Robin ran off within the woods leaving a very confused Celandine standing in the field.

**Review if you will**.


End file.
